Friday, September 30, 2011

Dan came into the shelter as a stray and was sadly never reclaimed. He is a friendly and social boy who is now looking for his new family. Dan gets on OK with other friendly cats, but also enjoys some time on his own. He is quite people social and enjoys getting pats.

Being a medium haired cat, Dan will require a brush once or twice a week to maintain his coat and ensure it remains free from matts. Dan will need in his new home a litter tray, scratching post, food and water bowls, a few toys to play with and a nice warm bed to curl up in.

Dan is $160 to adopt which includes: Desexing and Vet Health Examination, Microchipping, First Vaccination, FIV Test, Flea and Worming Treatment, a 30 day pet insurance cover note and A FRIEND FOR LIFE!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The RSPCA Sydney Shelter is currently experiencing a shortage of toys and treats for the animals in its care. As part of their Halloween-themed ‘Tricks for Treats’ initiative, the RSPCA is asking for donations from the public leading up to 31 October.

“Treats are a very important part of our positive reinforcement training methods with the animals,” said Marika Taylor, Sydney Shelter Volunteer Coordinator. Shelter staff and volunteers practice obedience training with the animals on a daily basis, so treats are consumed quickly. “We’re always in need of treats and toys, particularly for dogs and cats.”

Treats provide a reward system for training, while toys provide comfort and stimulation for animals staying in an unfamiliar environment.

Can you donate pet-friendly treats and toys? All donated dog and cat items can be dropped off at the RSPCA Sydney Shelter, 201 Rookwood Road, Yagoona between 9.00am and 8.00pm. Treats and toys can also be purchased directly from the Shelter’s retail store (closed Wednesdays) and the RSPCA Care Centre at Rouse Hill Town Centre.

Thousands of dogs and cats soon will have a better chance of finding a family thanks to a new partnership between the RSPCA and Australia’s No 1 classifieds site, tradingpost.com.au, to offer online pet adoptions.

Michael Padden, Head of Telstra Advertising Network said customers visiting tradingpost.com.au will be able to browse ads for rescue animals in addition to the thousands of pets for sale by private and commercial customers, making it easier than ever before for homeless pets to be adopted.

“With so many animals looking for new homes, we’re delighted to be providing the RSPCA with a new channel to promote animal adoption,” Mr Padden said.

“Tradingpost.com.au is already the largest marketplace for pets in Australia, with more than 3.8 million visits to the site each month , and the new partnership with RSCPA means that there will be an additional 2,500 cats, dogs and other pets listed on tradingpost.com.au making the total number of pets available in excess of 10,000.” Mr Padden said.

Kellie Rutherford, Partnership Relationship Manager for RSPCA Australia said around 45,000 animals are adopted from the RSPCA each year.

“By partnering with tradingpost.com.au we can put our adoption animals in front of a broader audience and hopefully find these animals their forever homes.”

The RSPCA’s website Adoptapet lets you view some of the animals waiting adoption at RSPCA locations across Australia. Browsing through Adoptapet, you'll see that many wonderful pets find their way to the RSPCA for a number of different reasons and all are thoroughly health checked and temperament tested before being offered up for adoption by the RSPCA.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Nearly 80 bushfires were reported to the NSW Rural Fire Service in the past two days. With bushfire season upon us, RSPCA NSW is urging the public to include their animals when preparing a family bushfire evacuation plan.

Because animals can get very distressed in smoky environments, pet owners should take precautionary measures whenever possible. The RSPCA recommends that people relocate their animals to a safe place before there’s an immediate threat or evacuation.

“Planning ahead is critical,” said RSPCA NSW Chief Inspector David OShannessy. “Often, people have no choice but to leave their animals behind because they’ve not considered their pets as part of their evacuation plan.”

Bushfire survival plans should include separate strategies to care for companion animals and livestock.

In preparation for an emergency, the RSPCA recommends:

Having carry boxes (for smaller pets), leads (for dogs) and halters (for horses) readily accessible – if possible, familiarise pets with boxes and leads in advance so they become more comfortable with them

Ensuring pets wear collars and tags at all times – tags should include the animal’s name, owner’s name and phone number

To always have a secondary contact number on the ID tag or microchip record – a home phone won’t be answered in an evacuation

Ensuring pets are microchipped and registered with your local council, as required under NSW law

Preparing an emergency pet supply kit – food and water (remember to pack a can opener if feeding canned food), food and water bowls, kitty litter and litter tray for cats, medication, blankets and towels

Keeping current photos of your pets and a detailed description of them, in the event they become lost

If pets should become lost during an emergency, contact the RSPCA for helpful tips on how to locate them

Friday, September 16, 2011

Boof is a friendly and boisterous boy who also has a sweet and sensitive side. He is looking for an experienced, firm owner who has previously had large breed dogs and can commit to continuing obedience training and walking him on his halti. Boof can be a handful but is also a big softy at times and will just want to cuddle up with you and give you kisses. As he is so boisterous and strong it is recommended that he doesn’t go to a home with children under 6 years of age as he may knock them over accidentally.

Boof will need at least two daily walks on his halti as well as daily obedience training. He can sit and is learning how to shake. He is responsive to commands and will do anything for a treat. To keep Boof mentally stimulated when alone or bored, he will benefit from having toys and treat balls like a Kong to keep him busy. He is dominant when meeting other dogs and will always want to greet other dogs but not all dogs take his dominance well and he doesn’t like when other dogs jump on him. Because of this, it is best that Boof be the only dog in his new home. Socialisation is important but when he meets other dogs he must be on his halti and held by an adult. He is not the type of dog that can be taken to an off leash dog park.

Boof is very interested in small animals and will chase them so his new home cannot have small animals. His backyard must have secure 5ft fencing with no holes or gaps. A brush once a fortnight and a bath when he is dirty will keep him looking handsome and his coat maintained. Boof is a friendly and sweet boy who will make a loving companion to someone who is looking for a friendly and sweet dog who they will continue to train.

Boof is $300 to adopt, and is desexed, vaccinated, wormed and health tested. The RSPCA is open six days, closed Wednesdays, for adoptions.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

"On a cold rainy morning last week, a handful of eager staff from Booz & Company gathered in convoy to road trip up to the RSPCA's Katoomba shelter for a day of gardening and flower bed regeneration. Despite the rainy weather, our spirits were buoyed by the sight of several dogs at the gate (who looked pretty happy to see us too!) as well Kathy - the shelter's manager who did a great job of showing us around, providing us with the gardening gear that we needed and educating the team about the work of the RSPCA.

Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time we set into the day's activities - clearing sticks from the lawn for mowing, weeding and regenerating the flower beds. As we did our work, the shelter's staff came along with dogs to distract us (a good distraction!) and to chat about the animals.

After hours of work, the sun finally came out! Mez took us on a tour of the dog and cat shelters which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Overall it was a fantastic day in the mountains and we'd like to thank the staff, cats and dogs of Katoomba RSPCA for having us over!"

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Ella is an 11 month old female, Great Dane Cross. She is a very sweet natured girl who is looking for her fur-ever home.

Firstly, Ella is deaf. She will need to go to a home with experienced dog owners who are willing to put the time and effort into her. Ella's new owners will need to be able to spend some time with her, continuing her basic obedience training with the use of hand signals rather then vocal commands. Ella is very people and dog social, but will need to meet any new potential doggy friends before being adopted. Ella needs to go to a home with NO SMALL CHILDREN as she can get very excited and jumpy, and at times forgets she is a large size dog!

Being a white dog, Ella is quite sensitive to the sun and will require sun block on her when she is outdoors, mainly on her nose, ears and around her eyes. Ella is a very playful girl and loves her toys so would enjoy her new family spending time with her and her toys. She will need a large fully fenced yard with solid fences no less than 5 feet. Ella loves other dogs but would need to meet any potential doggy housemates before going home to live with them. She would love some interactive playtime each day and a walk on lead, never off lead, as she is deaf and would be unable to hear traffic or you calling her. She is a great companion.

Ella is $350 to adopt which includes: Desexing and Vet Consultation, Microchipping, First Vaccination, Heartworm Test, Flea and Worming Treatments, 30 day pet insurance cover note and A FRIEND FOR LIFE!

Study co-author, Dr David Evans, said the results of the study offered no support for the retention of whipping in horse racing.

“We looked at running times in a series of races, how whips were used and whether that whip use influenced the outcome of a race. What we found was that whipping did not affect the probability of whether or not a horse finished a race in the first three placings."

Animal behaviour expert Professor Paul McGreevy said he hoped this research would highlight the fallacy and futility of whipping.

“Top performance horses have been bred and prepared to give of their best. Add to that excellent horsemanship and you’ve got a winning combination. That’s all you need. We have evidence here that great horsemanship does not involve flogging tired horses.”

"Working with Paul McGreevy and the rest of the team has been a wonderful collaboration,” said RSPCA Australia Chief Scientist Dr Bidda Jones.

“The mix of expertise in equine behaviour, physiology, training and animal welfare has led to several important advances in our understanding of the challenges faced by horses in sport and has thrown a spotlight on the use of whips in racing.

“It's also been encouraging to those involved in other equine disciplines such as dressage and showjumping, who are seeking to improve horse welfare.”

The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are the most coveted science awards in Australia. Director of the Australian Museum, Frank Howarth, said Professor McGreevy’s team had been instrumental in bringing an ethical dimension to horse training and racing at an international level.

“Moreover, the team has shown through scientific research that much of the harm currently inflicted on horses in sport bears no real benefits anyway.”

The $10,000 Voiceless Eureka Prize for Scientific Research That Contributes to Animal Protection is awarded to an individual or team for scientific research that has contributed, or has the potential to contribute, to animal protection.

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About us

The RSPCA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - is Australia's pre-eminent animal welfare organisation. We provide a strong voice for animals experiencing cruelty and neglect. The RSPCA is not a government agency and receives only a very small amount of funding from the Government. We rely on the generosity of the community and our own fundraising initiatives to fund our vital work.